Slime-saving apparatus.



No. 7 1, 15. PATENTED AY 31, 1904.

- J. J. SMITH.

SLIMB SAVING APPARATUS.

A APPLICATION FILED DEC- 15. 1902. H0 MODEL.

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SLIMB-SAVING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED D120. 15,1902.

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UNITED STATES,

Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

JACOB J. SMI TH,-OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR FIFTY-ONE ONE- HUNDREDTHSTO ARTHUR R. WILFLEY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

)SLlME-SAVING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,615, dated- -y 311904. i v Application filed December 15,1902. Serial No. 135,32 1. (N0model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB J. SMITI- 'a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city and county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful I in- 'provements inSlimeSaving Apparatus; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full,clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the-same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of'this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in slime-saving tables orapparatus, my object being to provide meansfor saving theexceedinglyfine mineral values usually termed slimes which are held insuspension by i the water and ordinarily lost in the tailings.

This apparatus is more especiallyintended for use in connection withother concentrates, the arrangement being such that the tailings or aportion of them are discharged upon my improved table, which saves thevalues contained therein, and to these ends the invention consists ofthe features, arrangements, and combinations hereinafter described andclaimed,

all of which willbe fully understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l'is a top or plan view ofmy improved apparatus.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection'taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar section takenon the line 1 1, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5, Fig.1, shown on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6,Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow, the parts being shown on alarger scale. Fig. 7 is a section taken through one of the feed-gates.This section may be designated as taken on the line 7-7,Fig. 5.

Y The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all theviews.

Let the numeral 5 designate the table, which, as shown in the drawings,is provided with a. central longitudinal partition 6, havinga slot 6*,which extends from the foot or left-hand? 'posite extremity thereof.

extremity of the table, referring to Figs. and 2, a short distancetoward the head or op- The outer edge of the table is surrounded byavertical flange or rim 7, having aninwardly-extending top 7 This rim-orflange is slightly higher than the partition 6. Between thislongitudinal partition and the sides of the table extend shallowcross-rifiies 8, which facilitate the formation of a'bed of concentratesor slimes upon the table when the operation is commenced. Thesepartitions divide the table into a number of shallow compartments 9 andlimit the agitation of the pulp until the bed or bottom stratum ofslimes is formed, after which the slimes accumulate above the rifiies,as they are no longer needed. If, however, the riflies are not inuse,the slime-saving process is com paratively slow when the apparatusis first put in operation, owing to the difliculty of starting a bed ofmaterial or settling the slimes on the smooth bottom of the table. Afterthe thin bed or lower stratum is formed this bed resiststhe action ofthe pulp and water and catches the slimes much faster than the smooth Ipartition opposite from the compartment into which the pulp isdischarged for treatment. By means of this series of gate-controlledorifices the feed of the pulp to the body of the table may be veryaccurately and easily regulated. The orifices 13 are formed in the lowerpart of the partition, and the pivot 14: is located, directly above. Theupper extremities of these pivoted gates project above the par.- tition,whereby they may be easily manipulated by the operator. ating thesegates is shown in Fig. 5, in which one of them is shown turned or Imoved to open or uncover its orifice 13. V J

The gangue or tailings are discharged at The manner of oper the head ofthe machine, but on the opposite side of the longitudinal partition fromthe feed-compartment 10. To this end the rim or flange forming the headend wall of the table is provided with a discharge-opening 15,controlled by a gate 16, mounted on a spindle 12, pivoted or trunnionedin the rim of the table at one end and in the longitudinal partition atthe other end. The spindle or shaft 17 is provided with a segmental gear18, with which meshes a pinion 19, fast on a spindle 20, journaled inthe wall or rim of the table at one end and the longitudinal partition 6at the other end. This construction permits a very fine or closeadjustment of .the gate 16, whose function is to maintain averticallyuniform depth of water or pulp above the bed orstratum ofslimes accumulating on the table. As this bed accumulates the gate israised; otherwise the depth of water or pulp above the bed wouldcontinuously diminish and the vibration of the table would cause thewater or pulp to disturb the bed of slime;

but bykeeping the depth of water or pulp uniform this undesirable resultis avoided, as the agitation is confined to the pulp or water, whichthereby protects the accumulated bed of slimes. In other words, thedepth of water is such that the force of the vibratory movement of thetable is exhausted or spent upon the water or pulp stratum above the bedof slimes on the same principle that disturbance or agitation on thesurface of a body of water has very little or no effect upon the bottomor bed below. This table occupies a horizontal plane and is mounted onlegs or pins 21, which engage conical sockets 22, formed in thesupporting beams or bars 23. The table when in operation is subjected toa vibratory movement through the instrumentality of any suitablemechanism. As shown in the drawings, a shaft 28 is journaled along oneside of the table, and eccentrics 29, mounted on the shaft, areconnected with the table by means of spring-rods 30, which extendunderneath to the center of the table, one extremity of each rod beingconnected with the strap of the eccentric, while the other ex tremity isconnected with the table by means of a bolt 31. As shown in thedrawings, each rod 20 is composed of a flat piece of metal, which yieldssufficiently to permit the throw of the eccentrics as the shaft isrotated, the extremities of the said rod being readily secured to theconnected parts. The shaft 28 is provided with fast and loose pulleys 32and 33.

The material to be treated is discharged into the compartment 10 at thehead of the table, and the gates 14: are regulated to properly controlthe discharge through the openings 13 to the body of the table on thefeed side of the partition 6. The shallow rifiles 8 check the flow ofpulp on the table to facilitate the settling. of the slimes until a thinslime-bed is formed on the bottom of the table, after which the rifiiesare no longer needed and are finally covered by the bed of slimes. Thepulp travels along the table on the feed side of the partition 6, passesthrough the slot 6, and travels thence in the opposite direction, andfinally impoverished of its mineral values is discharged as tailings organgue through the discharge-opening 15, the gate 16 being manipulated,as heretofore described, to maintain a suitable and vertically-uniformdepth of pulp or water above the bed of slimes. Attention is called tothe fact that the gate 16 is not adapted to close or partially close theopening 15, since the said opening is at all times wide open for thedischarge of the gangue. The gangue is compelled to flow over this gatebefore passing through the discharge-opening. Hence by raising the gatethe depth of water or pulp maintained on the bed of the-table isincreased. The result of this operation will be readily understood fromthe description heretofore given. As the pulp travels from the feed-box10 in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 1 and as just describedit is gradually impoverished of its mineral values, the heaviest ofthese values settling first and the others in the order of theirgravity, the lightest or finest being the last to settle. The path overwhich the pulp must travel on the table is supposed to be of sufiieientlength to save practically all of the values.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. Ahorizontally-arranged slime-saving table having a vibratory movementtransverse to the travel of the pulp thereon, said table being providedwith a feed-compartment having gate-controlled. openings for admittingthe pulp to the body of the table, and a dischargeopening for the gangueor tailings, the discharge-opening being remote from the feed box orcompartment, the table being also provided with a gate pivotally mountednear the discharge-opening, normally occupying a horizontal positionbelow said opening and capable of adjustment on its hinge or pivot tomaintain a suitable predetermined depth of water or pulp above theslime-bed as it accumulates on the table, substantially as described.

2. A horizontally-arranged slime-saving table having a vibratorymovement transverse to the direction of the pulps travel thereon, andprovided with a feed-box from which the pulp passes to the body of thetable which is provided with a discharge-opening remote from thefeed-box, and a gate pivotally mounted near said opening, normallyoccupying a horizontal position below the discharge-opening and capableof inclined adjustment between the horizontal and vertical whereby avertically uniform predetermined depth of water or pulp is maintainedabove the accumulating bed or stratum of slimes on the bottom of thetable.

ITO

'8. Thecombination of a horizontally-arranged slime saving tableprovided with a feed-box and having a discharge-opening remote from thesaid box, the table being provided near the discharge-opening with agate located adjacent and in front of said opening, a spindle journaledin the table and upon which the gate is mounted, the gate normallyoccupying a horizontal position below the dischargeopening andprojecting toward said opening, a segmental gear fast on the spindle, apinion meshing with said gear, and a spindle upon which the pinion ismade fast, the said spindle being journaled in the table and arranged tobe operated to control thegate, whereby the latter is capable ofinclined adjustment in front of the discharge-opening, substantially asdescribed. v

4. A horizontally-arranged slime-saving ta; ble comprising a feed-boxseparated from the 1 body of the table by apartition provided with aseries of orifices, gates pivoted on the said partition for controllingthe said orifices, shal low cross-riflles located on the bottom of thetable, to facilitate the initial settling of the slimes as described,the table having a discharge-opening remote from the feed-box, and apivoted gate located adjacent the dischargeopening for the purpose ofmaintaining a predetermined depth of water or pulp above theaccumulating bed or stratum of slimes on the bottom of the table, thesaid gate normally occupying a horizontal position below and in front ofthe discharge-opening of the table and projecting toward said opening,substantially as described.

5. The combination of a horizontally-arranged slime-saving table, meansfor imparting a vibratory movement to the table transverse to the travelof the material thereon, a

longitudinal partition dividing the table into longitudinalcompartments, said partitions over it before reaching thedischargempening,

the said gate being for the purpose of maintaining a predetermined,uniform depth of water or pulp above the bed or stratum of slimes on thetable. 7

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB J. SMITH. Witnesses:

DENA NELSON, A. J. OBRIEN.

